


it's not a weakness

by n3s0



Series: Dream SMP Sickfics [3]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Family Dynamic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Oneshot, Sickfic, Technoblade-centric (Video Blogging RPF), god I'm terrible at tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28826106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n3s0/pseuds/n3s0
Summary: Things have finally calmed down in the cabin. It's been weeks since the Butcher Army attacked, Tommy truly seemed to be doing better, Phil managed to sneak out of house arrest last week and hasn't been found. Of course Techno had to go and ruin it by getting sick.orTechno catches a cold and Tommy and Phil help him recover and realize that accepting help isn't a weakness.
Relationships: Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Dream SMP Sickfics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113386
Comments: 24
Kudos: 453





	it's not a weakness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghostbandaids](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostbandaids/gifts).



> If any of the creators in this story express that they're uncomfortable with fanfiction, please lmk and this will be taken down! The actions the characters take in this story in no way reflect how I think the content creators would behave, and this is all based on the roleplay of the Dream SMP.
> 
> For Zia :) I was really wanting to write a nice and simple sickfic and she suggested writing a Techno sickfic with Tommy and Philza. I hope you enjoy!

The days went by without any extraordinary event and for once in his life, Technoblade could honestly say he's had a boring week. The Butcher Army had attacked around two months ago, his alliance with Tommy (and dare he say, friendship) starting on the same day. The first weeks with Tommy were complicated, arguments over gapples and cobblestone and Tommy's relationship with Dream were an everyday occurrence for the first month. But now they had a nice routine. Tommy did some chores around the cabin, joined Techno on a few excursions to L'manberg (though after their meeting with Tubbo he was much more reluctant to join), and hadn't had a nightmare in almost two weeks now. Philza had even managed to join them last week, sneaking away from Tubbo's watch and breaking his ankle monitor to fly to Techno's cabin. The three of them have been living peacefully this entire week, not unlike their life in Phil's home all those years ago. (The gaping absence made by Wilbur goes unspoken. Ghostbur didn't visit very often anymore and Techno can't tell if he's realized or upset by the loss.)

So yeah, it was a boring week. Which is why Techno just had to ruin it by getting sick. 

It was shameful, really. Nobody in the cabin was actively sick, Tommy had recovered from his pneumonia last month, and he never went outside without proper clothing for the tundra. The totem of undying's lingering effects of nausea wore off a few days after he used it, so he can't blame it on that either. No, Techno was simply sick. No badass poison compromising his immune system, no tortuous march through the tundra forcing sickness upon him, no illness spread to him because he managed to cure his dying brother. He just woke up with a pounding headache and an awful cough and chills for the hell of it, because he was Technoblade, and he didn't get to have a boring week. 

But also because he was Technoblade was why he was going to pretend like he felt absolutely fine. 

"You alright mate?" Philza's voice came from behind him. Right, he was in the process of cooking breakfast. He can't even remember waking up. Maybe pretending he felt fine would be harder than first thought. 

"Mhm," he grunts out and scoops the eggs off of the skillet. Before Phil can push the subject, Tommy's head pops up from the basement. (Techno offered to expand the house and build Tommy his own room but he rejected the offer. Whether it was from fear that it would be taken away or Tommy just genuinely likes living in a little hole in the ground, Techno couldn't tell. Nonetheless, Techno made sure to force Tommy to let him fix up the room so it was at least warm and not three seconds from caving in.) 

"I smell food," he says it like it's a secret. 

"Your sense of smell is incredibly average, congratulations," Techno says sarcastically as he sets down three plates of eggs and toast on the small table. Really, if he knew there'd be more than just him living in this cabin, he would've made it larger. 

"It's barely 8 am, you mind waiting until at least 10 am to be a prick?" Tommy snaps and Phil laughs. Techno would've laughed, too, if his head didn't throb every time he moved his eyes. So instead he shoots Tommy a genuine glare and sits down with a thump. He knows he shouldn't be this passive-aggressive with Tommy, no matter how "better" Tommy seemed to be he was still fragile, but he can't help being angry when he feels like shit. "...sorry," Tommy mumbles and hunches his shoulders, resolving to quietly eat his breakfast. 

Philza, ever understanding, gives Tommy a reassuring smile. "He had a rough night's sleep, Tommy," Phil tells Tommy softly, and while Tommy looks a little less nervous his shoulders don't fully uncurl. The rest of breakfast is spent in silence and Techno is both grateful and upset for it. He appreciated the silence as any noise seemed to rattle his brain, but he hated how it was only happening because he managed to scare Tommy and Phil was too unaware of what was going on to want to push the topic. Techno barely eats an egg and a bite of toast before his stomach rolls and he decides to get on with his day. He stands, and Phil stands with him.

"Are you not gonna finish your breakfast?" Phil asks, concern evident on his face.

"Not hungry," Techno replies sharply and heads over to the door to pull on his snow boots and winter cloak. Phil and Tommy share a nervous look before Phil glances back to Techno.

"Where ya going?" He asks casually.

"The turtles need to be checked on," Techno replies as he opens the door, and Phil scrambles over to grab his boots and coat as well.

"Why don't you let me go check on them?" Phil tries and Techno glares at him over his shoulder. He wasn't about to let Phil baby him.

"You can come with," Techno dodges the question and doesn't let Phil respond before he's out the door and heading for the farm. All things considered, it was a nice day for the middle of the tundra, and if Techno was feeling even marginally better he'd be enjoying it, but his headache has managed to get worse in barely the hour he's been awake, and he can't breathe through his nose.

"Techno!" Phil calls from behind him and jogs to catch up. Techno doesn't slow his pace. "Mate are you sure you're alright? And don't lie to me," Phil gives him a Dadza look and Techno glares ahead, refusing to look at Phil and see the concern in his eyes.

"I'm _fine_ ," Techno growls and picks up his pace, "I don't need you being a mother hen. I'm not even your kid," Phil flinches at that, and if Techno's head weren't filled with cotton, it'd be filled with guilt, "go dote on Tommy if you want to be a dad." Phil says nothing at that, and the two walk in silence to the turtle farm. By the time they reach it Techno's surprisingly warm from just the short walk. He assures himself it's just because it's a decently warm day (it's really not, he lives in the arctic) and takes off his cloak, setting it by the fences that he hops to get into the enclosure. Turtles squirm at his feet and it takes all of his concentration to walk in a straight line and not crush any fins or eggs. Phil watches as he stumbles the entire four yards it takes to get to the scute chest. 

"Asking for help isn't a bad thing," Phil pipes up suddenly and Techno whips around to look at him. The movement causes his head to swim and he only has a moment to watch fear cross Phil's face before he feels himself tilt backward into the pond. "Tech-" he hears before water rushes around him. It's freezing, but the chill makes him feel a bit better even if it does nothing but make him feel a little numb. He watches the water above him show morphed shapes of wings and a concerned face as he dully realizes he should probably make an effort to get out of the water. Before he can do so, strong arms wrap around him and pull him out. 

"Technoblade what the fuck!" Phil screeches and wraps his cloak around him. It's a good thing he took it off before he fell in, the material was thick and heavy and probably would've sunk him and made him way too heavy for Phil to drag out. A part of him realizes that if Phil didn't join him, or if he left his cloak on, he probably would've drowned. Another part thinks he should be more concerned about that. "Techno oh my god- jesus fucking christ I'm- you're burning up! How the fuck are you burning you were just in a subfreezing pond!?" Phil's rambling goes in one ear and out the other as Techno clutches the sides of his cloak numbly. 

"I think 'm sick," Techo mumbles and Phil lets out a strangled laugh.

"Now you admit it you dense motherfucker," Phil says but there's no heat behind the words, "shit- Techno how the hell are we gonna get back?" Techno was a solid foot taller than Phil and much much heavier than him. Being part piglin only helped sometimes, his stature doing wonders for fighting but it doesn't make him the ideal candidate to be carried. Techno sat on the sand quietly as Phil panicked, his brain still catching up with falling in the pond and not even beginning to think about how to get home. "Stay here," Phil demanded before taking off in a gust of wind for the cabin. 

Only now was Technoblade finally comprehending what was going on. He was shivering violently, the combination of being soaking wet and having a fever making him shake so violently it made him dizzy. His head felt muddled and he swayed even as he sat on the ground. His nose was runny and his throat hurt and his head hurt _so_ much worse and this was all because of absolutely nothing. No heroic adventure giving him a cold, nope, he just woke up and felt _weak_. He was Technoblade, the Blood God, the Blade, he didn't _get_ sick. But sitting there in the sand, body ache and freezing and confused he felt exactly like the lost kid Phil found in the Nether years ago. The thought of Phil, caring and helpful Phil, brings tears to his eyes. 

That's how Phil found him, sitting exactly where he left him in the sand with the cloak around him and tears running down his face. Phil had flown back to the cabin and got Tommy to follow him back on Carl. Hopefully between the two of them, with Tommy being closer to Techno's height, they could get Techno on the horse with Tommy steering Carl and Phil flying and guiding the way. 

"Techno?" Tommy calls from behind him, dismounting Carl and jogging over to him. Phil lands in a puff of snow on the other side of the corral to not startle Carl and joins them quickly. 

"Hullo," Techno slurs and doesn't lift his gaze from where he was watching one turtle swim lazily. Tommy glances up at Phil with worry. He's never heard Techno sound that out of it in over the decade he's known the man. 

"Think you can get up, Big man?" Tommy asks gently and it's the first thing that managed to somewhat snap Techno out of his fever-induced trance. If Tommy was being gentle you knew it was bad. Techno looks between Phil's forcefully calm smile and Tommy's fear and concerned filled gaze and nods slowly. Together Phil and Tommy grab Techno by his arms and hoist him off the ground. It's not easy, and Phil has to use his wings to get the extra push to get him up, but eventually, he's standing. The change in position makes the world spin wildly and Techno finds himself nearly toppling over Tommy. 

"Holy fuck Techno," Tommy grumbles out as Phil helps steady the two of them, "why didn't you say something earlier?" 

"...didn't wanna be weak," if Techno was in any other state of mind he would've gone red with embarrassment at the statement, or better yet, not said it at all. But he was too focused on the world spinning to notice the hurt on Tommy or Phil's face to be embarrassed. Slowly, they guide Techno over to where Carl stands by the fence.

"I'm gonna hop on Carl, and then you can use the fence kind of like a ladder to get on behind me, okay?" Tommy asks patiently _(Tommy being patient isn't a good sign)_ and after a moment Techno nods, still watching the ground intently. 

"Tommy and I will help you up as well, and once you're on just hold onto Tommy and we'll get you back home," Phil and Tommy watch Techno and wait for a response. "Technoblade?" Phil presses and Techno nods, "Okay, up you go." Techno methodically steps up onto the first horizontal post of the fence, Phil's hands on his back to support him and Tommy's hands under his arms to help hoist him up. "That's one step, just up one more," Techno nods again and pushes himself up onto the top post of the fence, teetering dangerously. 

"Doing great Big T," Tommy encourages and Techno makes the final hop onto the saddle, Philza hovering gently behind him making sure he doesn't tip off the other side. Techno wraps his arms around Tommy's torso and it's a testament to how out of it Techno is that he doesn't hesitate to initiate the physical contact. "Hah, all it took to get the great Technoblade to give me a hug was to make him sick!" Tommy jokes and when Techno doesn't even grunt in response he gives Phil a nervous glance.

"Let's get going," Phil urges and flies further up into the air, just enough to get a good view of the cabin through the snow, but low enough that Tommy can see him.

"Hold on tight," Tommy says one last time before flicking the reigns and taking off towards the house after Phil. He can feel the heat radiating off of Techno's forehead, which is pressed against his back. Techno looked terrible during breakfast but he managed to somehow look worse in the short hour he'd been gone. Tommy suspected the freezing pool didn't help him by any means, but that didn't completely write off the fact that Techno was seriously sick. The ride back to the cabin was pretty short on horseback, but it felt like forever with Techno's burning head pressed into his back and the way he didn't even grunt in response to any of Tommy's attempts to start a conversation. Once they get back to the cabin Phil swoops down and hovers slightly next to the two of them. Carefully, with lots of lifting from Philza, they get Techno off of Carl and lead up the stairs into the cabin. 

"Lay him on the couch," Phil instructs and leans Techno completely onto Tommy before rushing downstairs. Tommy can hear him frantically opening chests while Tommy struggles to keep both himself and Techno upright.

"Come on man you gotta help me a bit here," Tommy complains as he stumbles the both of them towards the couch, Techno barely carrying any of his own weight. 

"...s'rry," Techno mumbles out and it's the first thing Tommy's heard him say since the turtle farm. Techno has always been quiet, but his voice was also commanding. Hearing him so sound muffled sent a shiver down Tommy's spine.

"It's alright, Techno," he reassures and helps lay Techno down on the couch, gently draping a quilt over him. Tommy turns to help gather supplies with Phil but a hand on his wrist stops him. Glancing down, Techno's staring at him with cloudy eyes. "...need something?" Tommy asks after another moment of Techno staring at him.

"Where'd Phil go?" Techno asks quietly and almost if on cue, Phil climbs up the ladder with a handful of potions. 

"Right here," he says with a soft smile and quietly makes his way next to Techno's head, pulling over a chair from the kitchen table and sitting next to Techno's head. "Mind drinking this?" Phil asks rhetorically, and as Techno leans up he puts a hand behind him to help support him. Techno silently takes the healing potion and slowly drinks half of the potion, glancing at Phil who nods for him to take the rest of the potion. "Thanks," Phil says absently and takes the potion from Techno, getting up and setting the empty glass in the sink. Tommy sits down on the floor in front of the couch and leans his head back to rest on Techno's arm. 

"You're clingy," Techno grumbles out, already sounding better as the effects of the potion take hold. Tommy chuckles and leans his head back further to look at Techno. The smirk on his face quickly drops when he sees the Techno still looks incredibly sick. He wonders if this is how he looked in those first weeks that Techno helped him. 

"Techno?" Tommy asks quietly as Phil cleans the dishes in the sink, the running water making white noise.

"Hmm?" Techno hums and readjusts so he's laying on his side, a hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy absently leans his head onto Techno's hand. 

"Did you think I was weak," Tommy starts, and instantly Techno feels more aware, focusing in on the conversation with worry, "when I was sick, that first month I was here?"

"No," Techno responds instantly, "of course not, Tommy. You just walked miles in freezing weather to escape Dream, that isn't weak. You getting sick wasn't weak."

"Then you aren't weak either," Tommy says with finality that shocks Techno. They both hear Phil stop washing the dishes and listen in but neither of them comments on it. 

"This is different-" 

"No it's not," Tommy snaps, but his face is open and soft and so concerned that it makes Techno melt, "Techno you got sick, just like how I got sick. Doesn't matter how. If I wasn't weak then neither are you." 

The two of them stare at each other at awkward angles before Tommy sighs and faces forward again, fully leaning into Techno's hand. 

"You scared me," Tommy mumbles.

"I'm sorry," Techno says honestly, mumbling as well. The health potion was helping, but it's effects weren't instantaneous, and the exhaustion from the short time he's been awake was weighing him down. 

"Don't be," Tommy sighs and stands up, "just tell someone next time." Techno grunts and Tommy gives him a stern look so he sighs, rolls his eyes, and nods. Satisfied, Tommy walks over to the armchair and drags it over to the couch by Techno's head.

"What are you doing?" Phil finally joins the conversation, giving Tommy a confused look. 

"What's it look like dickhead I'm sitting down," Tommy snaps, face violently red as he curls up in the chair that he went out of his way to move right next to Techno. The two laugh so Tommy rolls over in the chair, facing away from Techno. Neither of them comments on how Tommy is still as close to Techno as possible without physically touching him, and Techno drifts to sleep as Tommy lays beside him and Phil drapes another blanket over him. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can pry Phil, Techno, and Tommy living in the tundra as a family out of my cold, dead hands. What do you mean Tommy and Techno hate each other in canon now :D What do you mean SBI family isn't canon :D What do you mean this is OOC sorry I can't hear you over my family dynamic hurt/comfort fics :D 
> 
> All joking aside I realize this is very much not up to date with canon and probably a little OOC but I miss Tommy and Techno's dynamic so much it hurts so I don't care. This was a lot of fun to write and was a nice little warm-up to a larger story I want to write (side eyes my notes on "recovery is slow" where I say I'm not doing a big fic until I move lol) so thank you again Zia for the idea :)
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
